January 2012

Welsh Hosteller: The independent traveller's guide to the countryside and youth hostels of Wales.

The site contains articles on 25 youth hostels in Wales with tips on things to see and do in the area, a description of the hostel and information on how to get there.

Use the maps for youth hostels in north Wales, mid Wales or south Wales or the directory to access the articles or check out the hostel of the month on the right of this page.

About Welsh Hosteller.   Links

Looking back on 2011 one of the highlights in Wales was the long awaited completion of the Welsh Highland Railway, with the final stretch through to Porthmadog now open. The full line is 25 miles long and leaves Caernarfon, with its magnificent castle on the north coast, skirts the base of Wales' highest mountain, visits the pretty tourist village of Beddgelert, before travelling through the wild and beautiful Aberglaslyn Pass on its way to the Cambrian Coast and some lovely sandy coves at Porthmadog.

Could there be a better way to savour the delights of the countryside of the Snowdonia National Park than travelling at a gentle pace behind a chugging steam engine? YHA has two youth hostels well placed for a trip on the railway : YHA Snowdon Ranger is the nearest, it even has its own station! while YHA Bryn Gwynant is only a few miles away from Beddgelert station, convenient for a trip to the coast.

Both hostels are open for the February half term week ( 10-18th ) and open for the main season on 1 March. For times of trains see the Ffestiniog/Welsh Mountain Railway website, www.festrail.co.uk